Vision center has its sights set on the future

by Dan Holland

Stagehouse Vision Center, located at 8879 Brecksville Rd., has been a fixture in the Brecksville business community for 25 years under ownership of the husband-and-wife team of Drs. Alicia G. Manenti and Joseph Ravagnani. The couple recently turned over their business to a new, but familiar, owner.

Dr. Philip Dickey, OD, who practiced for ten years with an optometry group in North Canton, purchased the business last year and took over operations on New Year’s Day. Dickey and Ravagnani were next-door neighbors years ago growing up in Green, Ohio.

“His parents and my parents are next-door neighbors,” explained Dickey. “Joe was the oldest of five kids, and his youngest sister was actually my babysitter growing up. Just through conversations, his sister, my sister and my mom have all stayed in touch over the years, and last summer they were talking about the practice, as Joe and Alicia were looking to retire. So, I reached out to them, and it moved forward from there.”

The optometry clinic will continue to offer routine eye exams and emergency care for eye issues, explained Dickey. “It’s a full-service optical, so we sell frames and glasses,” he said. “We pride ourselves on being a small, privately-owned practice. We take our time and try to keep things as laid back as possible. That’s the way it has been run over the years, and I plan to run it that way as well.”

During his first week in practice, a number of regulars were surprised to learn of the retirement of Manenti and Ravagnani, said Dickey. “A number of clients were surprised to find out they had retired,” he said. “But the response has been very good – I have two little ones, and we’re expecting a third one in March, so I plan on being here for a long time and putting down roots here. Some of them know about the connection Dr. Ravagnani and I had growing up.”

Dickey, who lives in Peninsula with wife Allison and their two children, plans to move to Brecksville at some point in the future.

“I’ve found that the people are very friendly, and they have been very welcoming,” said Dickey. “Brecksville is a very charming city with great parks; we spend a lot of time in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park now with living in Peninsula, so it’s nice to be around that as well as the Metroparks Brecksville Reservation. I also enjoy golf, so it’s nice having Sleepy Hollow Golf Course right here. It’s a really nice locale as far as the beauty of the city; we really did luck out in finding this through the Ravagnani’s.”

“It’s been great living in and serving the community of Brecksville since 1999, but it’s time to turn the reins over to a young OD who can take our practice to the next level,” said Ravagnani.

Dickey said he looks forward to offering the same personalized care provided by the previous owners.

“We’re always accepting new patients, and I look forward to growing the practice and meeting everyone who has frequented the business over the years,” said Dickey. “I want to keep it small and take care of everyone in the family – from kids to grandparents – and just be that local establishment for everyone in the community. It will be a place where people will know what to expect; they know they’ll feel comfortable here and be taken care of, and they will receive the highest quality of care.” ∞

Photo: Dr. Philip Dickey